Herpes Treatment

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Herpes Treatment

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Question:

Will a herpes outbreak go away on its own, like common cold sores do? What are the risks of not taking medication?

Answer

There are two herpes viruses. Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) is the classic cause of cold sores, while HSV-2 has been the major cause of genital herpes. Recently, however, many cases of genital herpes have been caused by HSV-1.

Whether caused by type 1 or 2, the first bout of genital herpes can be quite nasty. You may have painful blisters, swollen lymph glands, painful urination, fever, and muscle aches. Without treatment, these symptoms generally clear up in one to two weeks. Antiviral drugs such as Zovirax, Famvir or Valtrex can speed recovery. Taking an antiviral drug for several days will not prevent future outbreaks.

Up to 90% of people with genital herpes develop repeat attacks. They develop because HSV remains in the body permanently and can come to life and produce symptoms without any new sexual contact. Fortunately, the symptoms are milder and briefer than the initial attack. In addition, the likelihood of repeat attacks lowers over time.

Daily use of an antiviral drug can help prevent repeat attacks while the medication is being taken. Daily use also helps protect sexual partners who have never had herpes from contracting the virus.

Harvey B. Simon, M.D. is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a member of the Health Sciences Technology Faculty at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is the founding editor of Harvard Men's Health Watch (www.health.harvard.edu) and the author of six consumer health books, including The Harvard Medical School Guide to Men's Health (Simon and Schuster, 2002) and The No Sweat Exercise Plan. Lose Weight, Get Healthy and Live Longer (McGraw-Hill, 2006). Dr. Simon practices at the Massachusetts General Hospital; he received the London Prize for Excellence in Teaching from Harvard and MIT.

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Last updated:	July 20, 2009

Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Harvard Health Publications, Copyright © 2007 by President and Fellows of Harvard College. All rights reserved. Used with permission of StayWell.

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